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Doctor Who Tardis giftset a must-have gift for geek lovers

By Karen D'Souza, San Jose Mercury News

Posted:
11/14/2013 08:58:06 AM EST

Doctor Who: Tardis giftset. ((BBC Shop))

Beam me up! While most people associate the holidays with nutcrackers and carols, those of us who happily brand ourselves nerds can't imagine any gift-giving opportunity that doesn't involve Yoda paraphernalia. So if there are any Whovians, Trekkies, zombie zealots or Jedis in your circle, rest assured that the last thing they want is something mainstream and vanilla. Here's a tipsheet for the hard-core geeks in your life:

“Doctor Who: Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Giftset“: Allons-y! For the uber-nerd in your life, this here is the holy grail. Not only can a true Whovian bask in the adventures of the ninth (Christopher Eccleston), 10th (David Tennant) and 11th doctor (Matt Smith) but this epic gift also features a sonic screwdriver (yes, really!), a comic book and three art cards, in addition to 4,815 minutes of Gallifreyian glory. Guaranteed to exterminate all ennui in any Tardis devotee on the eve of the 50th anniversary. ($349.98 for 29-disc Blu-ray set, http://shop.bbc.

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Zombie Apocalypse Survival Kit: Go DIY this doomsday with a handy survival kit designed to handle rampaging zombie hordes. Should the dead arise, you can fend them off with a Gator machete, a Camp II axe, a Gator Pro machete, a Parang machete, a LMF II Infantry knife and a DMF Folder knife, all in a sturdy canvas carrying case. Just because it's the end of the world doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared. ($349, www.gerbergear.com)

“Star Trek: Stardate Collection”: If you are a hard-core Trekkie who knows your Tribbles from your Triskelion, this collection will hit the geek sweet spot. Boldly go where few geeks have gone before with a movie marathon that spans from the cheesy “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” to the final “Nemesis” (the set does not include the J.J. Abrams reboots). Conventional wisdom holds that the even numbers in this movie franchise are the best (“The Wrath of Khan,” “The Voyage Home,” etc.) but there will be plenty of time for debate while practicing your IDIC salute and gorging on all 12-discs in a warp-speed Enterprise marathon. ($80.98 for Blu-ray, www.amazon.com)

“Star Wars” Cuff Links: The force is strong with anyone who sports these hand-carved, 14-karat gold beauties. These kitsch classic cuff links are available in Darth Vader or Yoda. It's the high-end equivalent of cosplay for the man who wants to get his Jedi on while striking an elegant pose. Small and sophisticated, these are for the truly discriminating dweeb. ($4,000-$4,200; neimanmarcus.com.)

A towel: Yes, this one is a tad abstract if you are not well-versed in the lore of “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.” If you don't know your Babel Fish from your Babylon 5, you may well be perplexed. But rest assured that your friendly neighborhood nerd will be chuckling up a storm when he or she unwraps this puppy. To quote from Douglas Adam's sci-fi canon, a towel is “Just about the most massively useful thing any interstellar Hitchhiker can carry.” Purists will note that Arthur Dent brandishes a fluffy number from Marks and Spencer, but the novice may well pillage any old thing from the linen closet. ($24 at www.marksandspencer.com).